Thousands pay tribute to Best

LONDON – Thousands of mourners and fans turned Old Trafford stadium into a shrine Saturday, leaving flowers, scarves and written tributes to soccer star George Best.

A former Manchester United and Northern Ireland player, Best, 59, died Friday after decades of alcohol abuse. He had been hospitalised since early October, and eventually died from multiple organ failure.Fans left tributes outside Old Trafford, opposite the statute of Best’s former United coach Matt Busby.Besides memorabilia from Man United and Northern Ireland, fans left shirts and paraphernalia representing many of the clubs in Britain.In games across Britain, fans were to hold a minute of silence before this weekend’s matches.In Saturday’s match between Wolves and Southampton, fans chose to applaud for a minute instead of remaining silent.Players on both clubs also wore black armbands.In Scotland, the same thing happened at Celtic’s home match against Dunfermline, with fans breaking into a minute’s applause before kickoff.Best is expected to be buried Friday in Belfast, Northern Ireland, alongside his mother, Ann.The funeral will be one of the biggest in Britain since the death of Princess Diana in 1997.Newspapers dedicated dozens of pages Saturday to Best’s life and death.”World says goodbye to Best,” said a headline on the back page of The Times.”Thanks for a million magical memories,” a Sun headline said.Above the headline was inscribed Best’s years of birth and death – 1946-2005.-Nampa-APHe had been hospitalised since early October, and eventually died from multiple organ failure.Fans left tributes outside Old Trafford, opposite the statute of Best’s former United coach Matt Busby.Besides memorabilia from Man United and Northern Ireland, fans left shirts and paraphernalia representing many of the clubs in Britain.In games across Britain, fans were to hold a minute of silence before this weekend’s matches.In Saturday’s match between Wolves and Southampton, fans chose to applaud for a minute instead of remaining silent.Players on both clubs also wore black armbands.In Scotland, the same thing happened at Celtic’s home match against Dunfermline, with fans breaking into a minute’s applause before kickoff.Best is expected to be buried Friday in Belfast, Northern Ireland, alongside his mother, Ann.The funeral will be one of the biggest in Britain since the death of Princess Diana in 1997.Newspapers dedicated dozens of pages Saturday to Best’s life and death.”World says goodbye to Best,” said a headline on the back page of The Times.”Thanks for a million magical memories,” a Sun headline said.Above the headline was inscribed Best’s years of birth and death – 1946-2005.-Nampa-AP